KEXP is my favorite Seattle radio station. My car’s radio is practically locked into the 90.3 tuning. Different DJ’s rotate throughout the day spanning all genre’s of music. From blues to underground hiphop. Bands local to the Pacific Northwest or perhaps from a different country like Iceland. I totally appreciate that I’m constantly discovering new music from this radio station. Thanks to the realtime playlist, I can take note of what was played.
Listener Powered Radio → Music That Matters
One of the taglines of KEXP is “Listener Powered Radio.” This is because KEXP is a non-profit organization that is funded by donations. In fact, I try to donate every year. Because of that, commercial influence doesn’t affect the music that gets played or the artists they highlight. This fully enables the DJs to select music that matters.
The Gathering Space at the Seattle Center
KEXP has a physical presence at the Seattle Center. This is definitely one of my “happy places.” You can watch the DJ’s do their thing in the booth while sipping on a coffee from La Marzocco. Furthermore, they use this space to host live performances. Sometimes it’s on-air via the in-studio room. Other times it’s out in the Gathering Space. This is a unique and special place that allows them to directly connect with the community.
Tuning in
There are several ways to listen to KEXP. If you’re near the Seattle area, simply turn on the radio to 90.3. If you’re on a computer at home you can stream the live broadcast in your web browser. If you’ve got a mobile phone, there’s an app. Finally, there’s a youtube channel with recordings of past performances. These are some of the very best videos I’ve seen of bands, anywhere. It’s truly remarkable.